Active learning and inclusive practices are associated with better outcomes and reduced equity gaps, though evidence is contested and uptake remains low¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Meta-analyses suggest active learning STEM classrooms achieved better outcomes than controls and that active learning interventions appear to reduce racial and socioeconomic equity gaps. → Sedlacek 2025 q2 i? Observational study of over 2,000 lessons in over 700 college STEM courses found 55% of lessons relied heavily on didactic lecturing. → Sedlacek 2025 (2)

Evidence¶

Sedlacek 2025¶

Sedlacek, Q., Villa, A. M., III, Friend, M., Pérez, G., Dozier, S., Haeger, H., Lomelí, K., & Mejia, J. A. (2025). How Representation Matters: Conceptualizing Systemic Racism to Develop Diversity Research Agendas for Undergraduate STEM Education. Educational Psychology Review, 37:49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10021-7

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports, citing Freeman et al. (2014) and Theobald et al. (2020), that active learning classrooms "tended to achieve better outcomes relative to control-group classrooms" and that interventions "appear to reduce racial and socioeconomic equity gaps." The review attributes these findings to the cited meta-analyses.

"A meta-analysis by Freeman et al. (2014) suggests that college STEM classrooms which implemented active learning strategies tended to achieve better outcomes relative to control-group classrooms across numerous studies, and a similar meta-analysis by Theobald et al. (2020) found evidence that active learning interventions appear to reduce racial and socioeconomic equity gaps in student outcomes (Theobald et al., 2020)."

Sedlacek 2025 (2)¶

Sedlacek, Q., Villa, A. M., III, Friend, M., Pérez, G., Dozier, S., Haeger, H., Lomelí, K., & Mejia, J. A. (2025). How Representation Matters: Conceptualizing Systemic Racism to Develop Diversity Research Agendas for Undergraduate STEM Education. Educational Psychology Review, 37:49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10021-7

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports an observational study cited as Stains et al. (2018) covering over 2,000 lessons in over 700 college STEM courses, in which "55% of lessons still relied heavily on didactic lecturing" and over 37% contained no student interaction beyond individual question-answering.

"A recent observational study of over 2,000 lessons in over 700 college STEM courses found that 55% of lessons still relied heavily on didactic lecturing (Stains et al., 2018), with over 37% of observed lessons containing no student interaction whatsoever beyond individual students answering or asking questions."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Active learning narrows achievement gaps for disadvantaged and underrepresented students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Small-group learning improves undergraduate STEM achievement — related
• Class size, course level, and discipline did not explain significant variation in how achievement gaps changed under active learning — a narrower finding that bears on this claim